Black Hills to rockey Mountains

My time in South Dakota ended Sunday with one last load of laundry and the midwest staple of Biscuits and Gravy, Luckily we still got out pretty early and on the road to Devils tower, one last stop in the Black Hills, this time in Wyoming. One of the folks I spoke to said that it was the most impressive thing in the Black Hills.  While I may not slap the label most on it, it definitely is up there. This was a great experience, and maybe one of the best for a packed park. while they did not have timed entry they had a stoplight that would let 3-4 cars in at a time. this meant that you did not get stuck in the parking circle of death and the wait in line at the 1/4 mark was only 15 minutes which I thought was great. We got out, but unfortunately we were met with the sign for no dogs so joy got situated back in the car and I did the mile and a half walk around the strange mountain. It was very worth it as like the pathways from my previous post, it was a moment to reflect on the power of God, something that the mountain had inspired to the first people that saw it and the westerners when they finally arrived. And just like the guy who told me I needed to see it in person because photos don't do it justice, I agree. 

On Monday we had another drive day across the state. My van is great but it is not really that fun to drive in high winds, and Tuesday was that mix of high winds and rain, so by the time we made it to the Marry Widow Mine RV park, I was exhausted and joy and I just relaxed to the rushing river behind our campsite.

On Wednesday I explored Butte and the richest hill in America. and then headed out to spend time with Melinda Schell a former member of Westminster who I really enjoyed and who was partially responsible for me coming to Westminster. Like everyone else I reconnected with it has been a delight to spend time learning about her new life in Helena , MT and how she has been able to really get involved in the life of her son and her Grand Children.  Helena itself is amazing, the dog park I took joy to had a view that is to die for, high on a hill that gives a 365 view of all the mountain ranges around Helena. We drove though the town and as Melinda told the stories of Helena and all her church is doing in the community which is amazing. We finished the day with folks from her church at a local bar enjoying beer and doing theology which turned out to be a lot more fun than I was expecting.

Today, I begin the journey to Spokane for Spokane Pride.